A Cool Kid-Like Me

The author-illustrator of such favorites as I'll Always Love You and Let's Be Friends Again! here addresses an issue near and dear to the egos of contemporary youngsters--the importance of being ``cool.'' The boy who tells this story is so cool that he doesn't like to be hugged, except by his Grandma. Only to her will he confess the awful truth: his coolness is merely a facade, and he's actually terrified without the night-light on. When Grandma goes on vacation, she gives the boy a teddy bear to keep him company. Although his parents think he's too old for a stuffed animal (and the boy thinks it's a weird present for a cool kid), in Grandma's absence the bear becomes a confidant, listening patiently as the boy tells of his inner fears--fears that most children will relate to. Once again, Wilhelm proves that he knows his audience inside and out, and knows how to reach them in words and pictures. This book will reassure youngsters who share the narrator's interest in appearing cool, as well as those who know someone like him--a broad universe indeed. Ages 3-7. (Aug.)